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Friday, September 30, 2016

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving 2015, we left the family
gathering—my husband, my daughter, my son-in-law, and my twenty-month-old
grandson—and headed for the hospital. What a better way to celebrate the
holiday than to give thanks for a new life brought into the world.

No—not my daughter this time! Ana’s friend had become a new
mother, and our close friends had become first-time grandparents that morning.
We called ahead, not wanting to intrude on anyone needing rest, but were told
they wanted us there.

As the new parents expressed concerns about their
roles and being bombarded with advice from well-meaning friends and family
members, Ana and Shawn looked at them and offered these wise words. “Do what
feels right for you and your baby.”

As months passed, I heard several times how much those
simple words still meant to the new parents. By accepting the freedom to make
their own choices—instead of trying to follow a variety of opinions on how to
raise their child—they were saved from going crazy.

What has this to do with writing?

It’s important—valuable—to glean what we can from those who
have more experience. We can learn from their mistakes and gain helpful
knowledge. But, at the end of the day, we still need to do what feels right for
us.

There was a time when I thought I would never self-publish.
You know the saying. Never say never.So, here I am, going down the indie path
with a debut novel. Sarah’s Smile,
the first book in The Daughters of Riverton series, is being released on
October 14.

How did I get here?

I sought traditional publishing for years, and some publishers and agents seemed interested. Requests for manuscripts were
made, but rejections followed.

A respected agent lost my manuscript and asked me to send it again—twice—over the course
of a year. Then she dropped communication. I felt so
discouraged. I’m a “doer,” and I’m also kind of a control freak, so the thought
of leaving my publication hopes in the hands of other people felt unsettling. At the same time,
indie publishing was becoming a reputable avenue.

Then two years ago, my husband and I started talking about
self-publishing. What would that look like? What would it take to become an
indie author? I was already freelance editing, so I had experience in running a
small business. But to pay people to edit, proofread, and design covers? Spend
money with no guarantee that we’d break even?

I knew without a doubt it was the path I was to take after
my husband and I prayed about the decision and he felt complete peace about
moving forward. At first I was shocked. He’s always so careful about budgets
and making sure money is well-spent. But his confidence gave me what I needed
to jump in. We agreed we had to view indie-publishing as something more than
possible income—we had to embrace it as a ministry—a calling.

Some may choose traditional publishing. Some may choose
indie-publishing. Others may want to live in both worlds as a hybrid. Regardless, there are decisions to make in terms of platform,
marketing, website formats, blogs, social media, etc. etc. etc.

In
1902, Sarah McCall is waiting to leave for the mission field when the man she
once loved steps back into her life. Abandoned as a child by her mother and
gambler father, she strives to overcome a tarnished history she didn’t create
and a heartbreak she can’t forget.

Peter
Caswell returns to his Wisconsin hometown a pastor, dedicated to his
four-year-old daughter and new congregation. But no matter how hard he tries to
move on with his life, he can’t forgive himself for his wife’s death.

When
Sarah learns that Peter is returning to Riverton, the letter giving her
departure date for Africa can’t come soon enough for her. They were best
friends—she loved him and supported his dreams—but he married another and broke
her heart. Although ten years have passed since he left Riverton, Peter hopes
Sarah still cares enough to give him a second chance. But a charming newcomer
pursues her affections—and Sarah’s childhood nemesis manipulates her way into
Peter’s life. Will Sarah and Peter find their way to forgiveness and each
other, or will past mistakes make a life together impossible?

BOOK
CLUB MEMBERS: You’ll find 20+ questions included for
discussion and reflection.

Releases October 14 on Amazon in paperback and e-book. E-book available for pre-order now.

Dawn Kinzer has
been published in the Christian Fiction
Online Magazine, the Backyard Friends
magazine, The One Year Life Verse
Devotional, and A Joyful Heart:
Experiencing the Light of His Love, and featured on the radio ministry, The Heartbeat of the Home. Sarah’s Smile is the first book in her
Daughters of Riverton series.

A mom and grandmother, she lives with her husband in the
beautiful Pacific Northwest.Favorite
things include dark chocolate, cinnamon, popcorn, strong coffee, good wine, the
mountains, family time, and Masterpiece
Theatre.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Let me tell you. The
best part of my job as Marketing Coordinator is back cover copy. And the worst
part of my job? Yeah. *wrinkles nose* That would be back cover copy too.

You see, I go through
life loving the stuffing out of back cover copy.

To me, it’s not just a
summary. It’s not just long story short. It’s like a whispered secret you can’t
quite catch the last of. You’re intrigued. You’ve got to know more. So you open
to that first page. And cha-ching! Congratulations, my friend. You’ve
just made a sale, and potentially a loyal reader.

My poor co-workers—they
had such a hard time understanding my obsession.

That is, until I
explained.

It’s your chance to
engage the reader before he/she even opens to the first page. Take, for example, the copy written for Julie
Lessman’s Christmas novella.

Accidents happen, and
then there’s Grace . . .

Pastor Cole McCabe isn’t sure he’ll survive the holidays with his new
housekeeper and nanny. She’s dyed his long johns pink and scorched nearly
everything she cooks—even catching fire to the kitchen. But he’s desperate, and
she’s as destitute as they come.

Though she’s no good with her hands, Grace sure has a way with her heart. She’s
brought a warmth into Cole’s home, added color to his daughters’ lives, and
broken down the wall he’s built up since his beloved wife died.

When Grace’s past threatens his family, they have one chance to celebrate
Christmas together at home . . . if Grace hasn’t burned it down by then.

It will impress an agent
and publisher and reader. Not
everyone is going to share your story with the same enthusiasm. Not everyone
will have reader your whole book. But if you have an entertaining and
captivating back cover blurb, your passion for the story will shine through.

As you can see from the
alternative taglines for The Gift of Grace below, the brainstorming
process can be full of kicks and giggles.

She’s the accident to
his prayers.

Grace has been good all
year, but she’s still getting Cole for Christmas.

He might need saving
from his saving Grace…

Don’t be afraid to let
your imagination run ridiculous. Follow those rabbit trails. You never know
when one might land you in Wonderland. Of course, if you need a Mad Hatter to
guide you, check out my back cover copy services over at Marketing15.

Nichole Parks(not to be mistaken for Nicholas Sparks) packs a
punch as Marketing Coordinator for Gilead Publishing. Her fingerprints are all over the covers of
their latest books. When she’s not cuffed to her inbox, Nichole evades blind
dates and loves on her latest dark humor manuscript. Always with a flair for the
traumatic… Stalk her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

How do you describe yourself to best fit your online presence and, in turn, help you in marketing your work? Author Johnnie Alexander recently received some great advice and she's sharing it with us. -- Sandy

Johnnie: “I feel like I’m climbing out of a basement,” I said to my daughter, Bethany Jett, who is also a writer. “Soon I’ll be on the first floor, and then I can build.”

My imaginary first floor is more commonly known as my social media platform. It’s made of the usual planks: Facebook, Twitter, a website and blog, Pinterest, Goodreads, and so on. The widest is Facebook where I connect daily with friends and followers on my personal profile and author page. The widths of the others vary, and that’s okay. At least they exist.

You may be wondering why I’m in the basement if I already have a planked floor.

Good question.

I’m in the basement, climbing upward step by step, because several of the planks have been neglected in the past few months. My focus, which isn’t marketing-centric at the best of times, has been on completing a novel, going through the edits, writing a new proposal, and attending a writers conference. When I wasn’t involved in these writerly activities, I was catching up on what was neglected while I completed that novel, went through the edits, etc.

Confession: After writing the novel, I also watched TV, read a few books, succumbed to allergies, and napped. Both my body and my brain needed the rest.

A couple of things happened to snap me from the funk.

First, I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference where I strategized with my publisher’s marketing team and received insights during my appointments with the publicity pros who were there.

Second, I followed Melyssa Griffin’s advice for updating a Pinterest profile. After a very long brainstorming session with my daughter, I finally clarified my online presence—who I am and what I do.

If you write fiction, you know what a difficult task this can be. Often we don’t have a specific topic to blog about and promote. (Though, as my daughter can attest, even nonfiction writers can find it a challenge to incorporate all their interests under one umbrella.)

Melyssa’s first tip: find two keywords or phrases that identify you. Melyssa’s is Entrepreneur and Blogging Tips. I chose Book Buff and Road Tripper.

Invigorated with a renewed energy and fresh ideas, I’m working behind the scenes (in the basement) to update all my planks with my Pinterest bio as a basis. I’m also creating a workable plan that builds up the most appropriate planks while leaving me time for imagining and writing new stories.

I have a list of items to accomplish, but one by one they’re getting done. My head should be poking out of the basement door before too long.

And though the planks will still be different widths, I’m confident the floor will be strong.

What two keywords or phrases best describe your online presence?

~~~~~~

Johnnie
Alexander imagines stories while raccoons and foxes
occasionally pass by her window. Her debut novel, Where Treasure Hides,
was a CBA bestseller and has been translated into Dutch and Norwegian. Where She
Belongs (Misty Willow Series #1), her first
contemporary romance, was a Library
Journal Pick of the Month. Recent releases include The Healing Promise(Courageous Bride Collection) and When Love Arrives (Misty Willow Series
#2).

Johnnie is marketing director for the Mid-South Christian Writers
Conference and president of the American Christian Fiction Writers Memphis
chapter. She
lives near Memphis with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, the
princely papillon who
trees those pesky raccoons whenever he gets the
chance.

Join
Johnnie at www.johnnie-alexander.com
to experience the charm of country living, the love of random travel, and the
joy of treasured memories.